I did not know this American music as a youth. It came to me via a young German named Sebastian who made a cassette tape of the whole session for us when we lived overseas in the early 90's. But I miss the warm crackles and pops captured on the cassette* as he recorded it from his parents' vinyl LPs.
I love the crystal clarity of Ella's voice contrasted with Louis' gravelly murk. Together, they made musical chiaroscuro.
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*I found the tape in a recent move and have been listening to it in my car -- the only cassette player left.
6 comments:
you have a car with a working cassette player?
I'm impressed.
It's a 2003 Golf TDI -- the last year VW sold them in CA befor the state declared war on diesels. It is grandfathered into the draconian laws and never needs smogging. I'll keep for another 50k miles or so until I find the electric truck of my dreams.
I love the way Ella enunciates. Most singers ruin it for me as I have to strain to make out the words they're too lazy to enunciate clearly. Not Ella. This is known as an old fogey complaint. So be it.
Anybody raised in the 50s heard Ella and many of her contemporaries. She headlined at the Newport Jazz Festival, guested regularly on Ed Sullivan and all the variety shows.
By the end of the 60s, though, the "Don't trust anyone under 30" crowd (whom I never trusted (funny how you can see through people supposed to be your own)) had exiled her and the great artists like her.
The Golf GTI is my favorite car. I've had two.
Louis Armstrong's rep keeps going up. His albums with Ella are for the ages. Honey and granola. That horn solo can break your heart.
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